A notebook.
Your findings.

Up to six proposals of Cabeceiras, in your own order, to do it at home, in company or on a break.

4 de 6 propostas escolhidas · faça-as ao seu ritmo.

PROPOSTA 1 DE 4 · A world beneath the leaves

Try observing

General knowledge · national guide

The mushroom is only one part

A mushroom is a reproductive structure; the body of many fungi is a network of threads called mycelium. Each thread is a hypha. CCRES describes this network colonising living or decaying organic matter, from which the fungus obtains nutrients. The fruiting body develops from the mycelium and allows spores to disperse. If conditions are favourable, they can give rise to new mycelium. The visible mushroom tells only part of the life cycle; not all fungi produce cap-shaped structures. When some decomposer species are cultivated, mycelium can develop in inoculated logs. The same log can produce mushrooms for several years while conditions and nutrients remain suitable. This general explanation neither identifies a species nor documents its occurrence in Cabeceiras. The network can also form cords called rhizomorphs. In certain wood-inhabiting fungi, these help bridge gaps between branches or logs to reach another food source. An outer layer protects the inner hyphae during this exploration. Another strategy is to form sclerotia: compact masses of hyphae with a resistant covering. They allow fungi to survive unfavourable periods and, when conditions improve, can produce mycelium or reproductive structures. These are forms of growth and survival described by the Australian botanic gardens, not local records.

Vamos experimentar?

1. Draw a network of wires on paper and, above, a mushroom.
2. Tick the net as mycelium and choose a wire to represent a hyphae.
3. Use the drawing as a scheme: it does not represent the shape or size of a real fungus.

An activity to try at your own pace, without collecting specimens.

Open a história e os seus recursos →

Sources of this proposal

• DGADR / ICNF — Mushroom Collector's Guide, June 2013Consultation/revision: 2026-11-06
• Centre for Silvestre Resources Skills — production mushroomsConsultation/revision: 2026-11-07
• Silvestrian Resource Competence Centre — General MycologyConsultation/revision: 2026-11-08
• Australian National Botanic Gardens / Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research — The myceliumConsultation/revision: 2026-11-07

My findings

An idea, a drawing or a question to go on.

PROPOSTA 2 DE 4 · Read the landscape through the plants

Try observing

Hillside crops · olive botany

One leaf, two sides

The municipality’s landscape description includes olive trees on the hillsides of Cabeceiras. The cultivated olive has leaves that are grey-green above and silvery-grey beneath, where hairs grow. Its small flowers have four white petals joined at the base. The fruit is the olive, an oil-rich drupe. The University of Évora’s description follows the change from green to reddish and dark shades during ripening, but also mentions forms that remain green when ripe. Colour alone does not tell the fruit’s whole story. The connection from tree to olive oil continues in the story of the Ramil oil mill. The profile distinguishes the cultivated olive from its wild form, known in Portuguese as zambujeiro. The latter is described as having smaller leaves and fruits and thorny lower branches. This comparison shows why a single feature, such as the silvery underside of a leaf, does not explain every difference. The olive is evergreen: it retains foliage throughout the year. You can therefore return to the same tree in different seasons and compare leaves, flowers and fruits, without expecting to find them all at once.

Vamos experimentar?

1. Observes the photograph: draw the contour and the central nerve of the sheet.
2. The image does not show the two sides of the same sheet. Separate what you see from what the text explains on the lower face.
3. If you observe an olive tree throughout the year, record separately leaves, flowers and fruits, without taking off material.

An activity to try at your own pace, without collecting specimens.

Open a história e os seus recursos →

Sources of this proposal

• University of Évora — Virtual Museum of Biodiversity, Olea europaeaConsultation/revision: 2026-11-07
• Municipality — landscape and vegetationConsultation/revision: 2026-11-07

My findings

An idea, a drawing or a question to go on.

PROPOSTA 3 DE 4 · Time travel

Try observing

Gondiães and Vilar de Cunhas · memory and landscape

A house with three granaries

In Casa de Chouzas, three 19th-century granaries join the solarengo building highlighted by the Municipality. The set approximates two functions: inhabit and guard the harvest. Instead of looking only at the main house, it is also worth recognizing the importance of agricultural support constructions. The presentation of Vilar de Cunhas places this heritage in a plateau and mountain landscape, marked by agriculture and pastoral care. The house and the granaries can be read in this work context, without the source detailing the production of each property. The dating of the house is less firm: the municipality presents it as perhaps 19th century, while assigning the granaries to the 19th century. This difference must remain visible. The photo accompanying the reading shows the portal; it does not show the three granaries. The asset reference does not confirm access to the set.

Vamos experimentar?

1. Look at the photo of the portal and list only the elements you can see.
2. Compared to the three granaries mentioned in the text: what depends on the written description?
3. Imagine a caption that distinguishes the frame of the photograph from the remaining patrimonial set.

An activity to try at your own pace, without collecting specimens.

Open a história e os seus recursos →

Sources of this proposal

• Municipality — Gondiães e Vilar de Cunhas, landscape, heritage and craftsConsultation/revision: 2026-11-07

My findings

An idea, a drawing or a question to go on.

PROPOSTA 4 DE 4 · Crafts and memories

Compare two portraits of Faia

Faia · sacred art, 2025

Roots and light renew a chapel

Olive-tree roots shaped the new altar and ambo in the chapel of Nossa Senhora do Amparo. The Archdiocese of Braga’s report of 6 October 2025 attributes the work to Atelier Amadeus and describes a refurbishment centred on the altar. A suspended cross forms part of the element called Corpo de Luz. Parish priest Rui Filipe Marques Araújo explained the lighting’s symbolism: groups of lights refer to the Trinity, the Evangelists and the Apostles. The publication also highlights the contribution of artists, technicians, workers and the community. The intervention shows heritage continuing to gain new forms and meanings; the 2025 report does not give visiting hours. The account presents the celebration, presided over by José Cordeiro, as a gathering of Faia with the communities of Arco de Baúlhe and Vila Nune. The choice of roots also receives a religious interpretation: according to the priest, transforming previously discarded material expresses renewal and redemption. This is the symbolic reading attributed to him in the report, distinct from the description of the materials. To understand the work, we can look at both layers: how it was made and the meaning given to it.

Vamos experimentar?

1. Read the history of the chapels described in 1758 and this reading about the intervention of 2025.
2. On a sheet, separate what each source describes: location and relationships with the community; materials, light and artistic creation.
3. Write down a question that remains unanswered. The old reference does not allow dating each part of the current building.

A comparison of sources to make at home; does not require access to the interior of the chapel.

Open a história e os seus recursos →

Sources of this proposal

• Archdiocese of Braga — renewal of Lady of Amparo, news of 06/10/2025Consultation/revision: 2026-11-07

My findings

An idea, a drawing or a question to go on.